Ted Kennedy Jr. on the importance of godparents: The need and desire for spiritual guidance, love, support and personal mentorship does not end when we reach adulthood.
Sacraments
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
Want to be happier? Go to confession
Is it possible that people who say that the sacrament is more trouble than it is worth, that they do not need confession, have duped themselves?
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
Clean eating and self-care are no substitute for confession
The wellness industry is redefining purity as a form of escapism from one’s own moral impurity. Diet has become a substitute for a genuine attempt to be a better person.
Posted inFaith, Vantage Point
The Case For R.C.I.A.
From 1989: A debate about the effectiveness and appropriateness of the R.C.I.A. in the life of the Catholic Church.
Posted inFaith, Vantage Point
The Case Against R.C.I.A.
From Father Andrew Greeley in 1989: The R.C.I.A. has converted the sacramental experience into an obstacle course, a series of barriers to be surmounted, a list of tests to be passed.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Lessons for evangelization from Britney Spears’s journey with the Catholic Church
Britney Spears recently wanted to get married in the Catholic Church. The controversy that followed shows us what we still need to learn about turning our churches into welcoming spaces.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Archbishop Wester: The Catholic Church should baptize children of same-sex couples
“The general disposition of the church is one of hospitality, openness and welcome,” writes Archbishop John Wester. “Refusing to baptize children of same-sex couples is not in keeping with this outreach and I find it quite troubling.”
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
The two saints who saved me from scrupulosity
Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Ignatius helped draw me away from scrupulosity—and into accepting God’s love.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
What Catholics actually want (and need) from marriage prep
Preparation for marriage should rely less on workbooks and more on prayer and community.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
What Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart reveals: The Eucharist is about friendship
The writings of St. Ignatius Loyola and the traditional Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart highlight a specific aspect of the Eucharist: friendship.